Fourth-grader Leena Jandali stepped off a Bloomfield Township Fire Department truck in front of school this week to the amazement of fellow students at Conant Elementary.

Leena was one of more than 100 youngsters who entered the Bloomfield Township Fire Departments fire safety essay contest that was open to all children who came to the open house earlier this year and all fourth graders in the township, said Fire Marshall Mike McCully.

As part of her winning essay, Leena cautioning people not to put aluminum containers or wrappers in the microwave, warning they could ruin the appliance and start a fire in the kitchen.

Besides the ride to school on the fire truck, Leena also was presented with an IPod Touch, said McCully. And firefighters joined Leena and her class for lunch Monday, said Shira Good, spokeswoman for Bloomfield Hills school district. The contest was done in conjunction with National Fire Protections Association’s Fire Prevention Week.

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Here is Leena’s essay titled, “How do we prevent kitchen fires?

“There are many ways that we can prevent kitchen fires. One way is to never put aluminum in the microwaves, because it will cause a short circuit in the machine and the aluminum will catch on fire and the microwave will break.

“Another way that fires might start is because of grease and drip pans. If something drips on the drip pan it should not be cleaned til the burner and stove is cooled. Most people forget that grease will not burn out with water. Water will make the fire bigger. Use a fire extinguisher or baking soda.

“It is important to have smoke detectors because if there is a fire the smoke detector will smell it and you will have time to call 911. Always keep a fire extinguisher visible in your kitchen for emergencies.

“If there is a kitchen fire in our house, to keep everyone safe, I would grab a phone, and go outside. We would call 911. Then everyone would be safe,” Leena concluded.